


Tahiri

by JadeDjo



Series: Fathers and Daughters [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: New Jedi Order Era - All Media Types
Genre: Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Leaving Home, Sand People, Sand People are people too, Tatooine, Tusken Raider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 17:11:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15823323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeDjo/pseuds/JadeDjo
Summary: Star Wars loves orphans, but not all characters are missing their parents. Some still have one left. Their Father.Even if that father is not biologically related or from a race normally feared, doesn't mean they don't love their daughters. Tahiri must say goodbye to the only father she's ever known.





	Tahiri

The white-hot sands of Tatooine blew across the Dune Sea in a whirlwind of motion. Dust devils strong enough to nock a man down moved and danced to their own music. This was the only movement that could be seen for miles in every direction. Even Sand People knew better than to venture out into the wastelands during midday. Tatoo 1 and Tatoo 2 bore down evaporating any moisture anywhere near the surface of the planet. This would have concerned Tahiri except for the fact that she was sheltered within the Bantha mud hut.

Mud hut? More like dung hut, Tahiri thought. In fact, that was the truth. The Sand People spent the sandstorm season in small camps. The huts consisted of bantha dung, urine, clay, and sand all covering krayt dragon scales. Left to dry in the heat from the twins the concoction soon became a stiff surface. When the scales where laid over a framework of rib bones then it became a shelter. Tahiri knew this of course. She'd been living with a tribe of Sand people for nearly six years, or six sandstorm cycles. In that time she'd learned many other desert survival skills, but she could almost remember a time when those skills hadn't been necessary.

The memories were always just beyond her ability to recall and every time she asked her 'father' Sliven he would tell her that the memories wouldn’t serve her and increase her ability to persevere in the desert. He would then lecture her on how survival was the most important aspect of Tusken life.

Tahiri sighed to herself. At least the winds would be letting up soon and the tribe could get moving again. Sliven always seemed to lecture her more when they were encamped then when the tribe was on the move. Just as she thought this, Sliven came into the hut.

Even though she could not see his face, Tahiri new he was giving her a disapproving look.

"Why do you sit here young one," he said.

She knew he did not refer to being out of the sun but rather that she was not using her time to sharpen her Gaffie stick or soften a bantha hide.

"I'm just thinking guardian," she replied.

"Unless you are thinking about how to improve your skills with the gaffie your time would be better spent sharpening it."

"No I'm not thinking about gaffie sticks. I'm thinking that I feel different today."

"Different? How so?" Sliven asked. "You have not come down with sand fever?"

"No, it's not a sickness. I just feel...different," was all she could say. But Tahiri felt more then that. She felt anticipation when there was nothing to look forward to. She felt, well, she just felt. Normally she would be able to sense one of her tribe member's presence when they were in danger or when the hunt was on. Otherwise she could only feel Bangor's or Sliven's presence constantly. But today it was like the tribe was in battle and she could feel each member, yet there was no battle. Only the normal preparations when leaving the camps after the sandstorm season.

Despite the tribe preparing to leave, Tahiri felt like something was about to happen. Something important.

"Young one. Young one!" Sliven broke through her thoughts.

Though she could not see his face behind his wrappings she felt his concern. "Yes sir."

"You are truly in a strange mood today," Sliven said "But strange mood or not, if you are not sick then you must work."

Sighing again, Tahiri got up and began packing. She was sure that most the tribe was finished and ready to leave tomorrow, but she just hadn’t felt the need to pack. That thought, of course, was ridiculous. If she didn’t pack her and Sliven's things they wouldn't last a day out in the desert.

It took her the rest of the day to finish, even with periodic help from Sliven. Just as she finished the last bag, Sliven came in again and motioned for her to join him outside. She knew what was coming. Every time the tribe left camp they told The Story. It was one of Tahiri's favorites. But not for the reason that the Sand People told it.   
The entire tribe gathered around the fire that had been built to ward off the chill of on coming night. Sliven, as the tribe leader took his place first and everyone else sat down according to his or her rank with in the tribe. Children, with no rank yet, sat beside their mothers. Since Tahiri was Slivens' adopted daughter she had the enviable seat next to him.

Once everyone was settled Sliven stood. Not only was it the leaders job to be strong and fierce, wise and knowledgeable, but they also had to be able to tell a good story. Tahiri always loved to watch Sliven tell a story. He used his whole body, not just his voice to convey character, emotion, and action.

He told the same story every time the sandstorm season was over. It came from an actual account of a surviving member of a tribe that had been massacred during the night. Even the children had been killed. The story began with the tribe having successfully raiding a human settlement and capturing a human female. Tahiri always secretly rooted for the humans at this point. Even though she could not remember much of her life before being taken in by the tribe, she still didn't want anyone to be hurt. Not to mention that if the Sand People in the story had left the humans alone, what happened next might have been averted.

The tale went on to tell how the Sand People decided to torture their prisoner instead of ending her life. This proved to be their undoing for on the night of no moons that signaled the end of the sandstorm season, a figure came to the camp that night. It was a ghost come to punish that tribe for their carelessness. No tribe had ever before tortured a human for so long. The dark ghost moved with stealth and cunning. His only weapon a glowing sword that slashed through the toughest armor and the sharpest gaffie stick. It was a marauding invader that no force could stop.

Tahiri was so caught up in the tale that she didn't even hear the sounds of seeder bikes till they were just outside the circle of huts. Looking over she saw two figures climb down and start towards them. She was so surprised that she gave the alarm. In moment the entire tribe was oriented to face this threat.

Both figures wore cloaks with the hood up preventing Tahiri from getting a good look at them. Stopping just outside of the Sand Peoples attack range the foremost figure spoke. "We mean you no harm, please lower your weapons."

It was a voice that projected calm and authority. Tahiri felt herself compiling. Sliven, however, did not. He took a step forward to stand before the intruders and demand to know why they were here.

"We have come seeking a Force presence. It is coming from among your tribe," The nebulous voice said.

"You have found a force. My tribe is a force to be reckoned with," Sliven challenged.

"I'm sure it is and we have no wish to fight you. But you have someone among your tribe that is not a Tuskan. We have come to talk to this person."

Tahiri shivered and not from the cooling night. The stranger had been looking right at her when he said that. She couldn't see his eyes in the shadow of his hood of course but she felt him looking in her direction.

"There is no one here you for you. Leave or I will make you leave," Sliven continued to challenge. 

"Stop," a new voice cried. Looking over Tahiri saw that it was Vexa. What was that idiot woman doing?

"You speak out of turn Vexa," Sliven said.

"I speak because you won't," she snarled at him. Then pointing at Tahiri she said, "Her! She is the one you seek. Take her and we can be done with her."

The figure had turned his attention to the argument but once again turned to Tahiri. She tried not to show her fear as any good Sand Woman would, but her insides were a jumble.

"NO!" Shouted Sliven. "She is my daughter and a member of this tribe. We do not give our own to enemies!"

"I am not your enemy mighty leader," The stranger tried to sooth. "I just want to ask the child a question."

The figure must have sensed her nervousness because he said, "It's alright. We're not here to hurt you," and began to move in her direction.

This was the finial straw as far as Sliven was concerned. He charged the cloaked man. Even with no weapon, a fully enraged Sand Man is not to be trifled with. Coming up from the man's side, Sliven was prepared to wrestle him to the ground. He never got close. Out of the darkness, Tahiri heard a snap hiss. There, between the dark man and Sliven as a glowing green blade. Then the second figure was beside the first with a blade of their own.

Just like in the story, Tahiri thought. They had come to punish the Tribe for taking her in. Humans just weren't meant to live with the Sand People. But Tahiri couldn't let her tribe be killed, for whatever reason. Running to stand in front of Sliven she tore off her facemask and shouted, "Please don’t kill him. I'll do what ever you want ghost, but don't hurt my father!"

This brought gasps from those watching and a nod from the cloaked man. "You have great courage for one so young," he said and then the blade was gone. Tahiri blinked in surprise. Had she just one her first battle?

"No little one, you did not win since I had no intention of hurting anyone. But can I ask the name of one so brave?"

Looking back a Sliven to see what she should do, Tahiri tried to sense his emotions, but got nothing. Nor did she get any cues for her next move. Deciding it couldn't hurt to give her name she said, "Tahiri Veila, adopted daughter of Sliven the leader of Rolling Sands tribe"

Reaching up to the hood of his cloak, the figure pushed in down. In place of shadows was the kind face of a human man with. Then getting down on one knee to be at eye level with her he said, "Nice to meet you Tahiri. My name is Luke Skywalker and I'd like you to come with me to my Jedi Academy."

"Why?" came Sliven's gruff question.

"Because she as great potential to use the Force. I know you know what that means," Luke said.

Sliven nodded then turned and walked back towards the tribe.

"Wait, I don’t know what it means."

"It means you have gifts," Luke said. "And I can show you how to use them."

Tahiri's eyes widened in surprise. "But how did you know?" She asked.

"That is one of the many things I will teach you," Luke Skywalker said.

"You can not take her," her adopted father said. "She must complete the trial before she can choose."

"But wouldn't she be better prepared for it if she could use her full potential?" Luke now addressed Sliven.

It was then that Vexa interrupted without permission. "Just take the foul thing and leave us!"

"BE SILENT FEMALE!" Sliven roared. "This does not concern you!" But Tahiri could tell that Sand Woman's words had struck a chord with the tribe leader.

"Your words are wise human," Sliven said to Luke Skywalker in a contemplative tone. "But this human female is my adopted daughter and must complete her trial before the end of her ninth season or be cast out. This is in 6 months."

"I cannot promise to have her fully trained in that time...," Luke Skywalker started to say.

"Then leave...," Sliven started to say, but Luke Skywalker was not finished.

"But I can promise to have her back in time to complete her trail with the Force as her ally," Luke Skywalker finished.

Tahiri tried to stay still as stone, but her heart was beating a mile a minute. If what Luke Skywalker offered would enable her to successfully complete her trail then she would be a full member of the tribe. Even Vexa would have no say. So through her silence and stiff posture, she willed her guardian to agree. She could feel his eyes boring into her behind his face mask and after what seemed an eternity but could not have been more then a minute, Sliven nodded.

"You may take this girl child with you Luke Skywalker. To train until her ninth season and then you will bring her back to honor and complete the traditions of the Sand People."

Luke Skywalker bowed and respectfully said, "I understand, oh wise chief." He then turned to Tahiri and said directly to her. "But only if she is brave and wishes to learn."

This took her back. Sliven had said she was to go with him and she would do as he commanded. But to choose for herself, it just wasn't done, not by a female and most certainly not by a female child.

"It is your choice," Luke Skywalker simple said and went to go and stand back by his companion who had still not lowered their hood.

As excited as she was at the prospect of leaving with this human and learning about the Force, she suddenly found herself indecisive. Looking between the Jedi and the only father she could remember.

"Trust your feelings," came the second Jedi's voice as they now lowered their hood. And to Tahiri's surprise, it was a woman, with hair so white it seemed to shimmer like a mirage. A woman stood beside Luke Skywalker. A woman Jedi.

It was then when she felt a stirring. As if the wind was speaking to her, pushing her toward the Jedi and a way from her home. But as her feet took her to stand with the Jedi, she felt no fear. Only peace. As if this is where she was meant to be.

"Goodbye my Father," Tahiri called before the Jedi could take her back to their speeder.

"May the Great Sands stay firm under your feet," Sliven gave the traditional Sand farewell. "And may the Winds allow your return."

 


End file.
